The Business, New Premium Economy Now Available On Virgin Australia B777s

Virgin Australia has begun flying its popular ‘The Business’ and a new Premium Economy product on the Boeing 777-300ER, the mainstay of its long-haul fleet.

The first of the refurbished jets made their debut on the Sydney-Los Angeles route over the weekend, after certification issues pushed back the product’s introduction on the transpacific flights. The aircraft will now operate between both cities on even-numbered days in May 2016, as the airline makes up for lost time to install the new seats on the remaining 4 aircraft.

More Seats, Direct Aisle Access with The Business

The reconfigured B777s sport 37 of Virgin Australia’s reverse herringbone ‘The Business’ business class seats, a win-win situation for both the airline and passengers over the old layout of 33 seats spread 2-3-2 across.

Largely identical to that already flying on the airline’s domestic Airbus A330 fleet, the new seats retain all the improved features including direct-aisle access, plush leather upholstery, increased storage space, a sturdy table and touchscreen controls. Taking advantage of the B777’s larger cabin, each seat also incorporates a larger 18-inch screen (up from 16 inches on the Airbus).

Passengers will also see a redesigned inflight bar, with counter seats for up to 4 and an additional lounger behind.

Smaller, More Intimate Premium Economy

Virgin Australia has reduced the number of seats in its Premium Economy cabin from 40 to 24, but promises a more exclusive, ‘Business-Lite’ experience.

Retaining a 2-4-2 layout, seat pitch is improved to 41 inches (up from the current 38 inches) and the seats themselves boast a stylish grey, purple and white colour scheme. Accompanying the new hardware are Luke Mangan-designed menus and business class wine selections.

Each refurbished jet will also have a Premium Larder self-service snack bar, although this comes at the expense of the existing Premium Economy Bar.